Start With the Core Rules
Underneath all the chrome and magic, a Rifts hero is an ordinary Savage Worlds character. Attributes, skills, the dice chain, derived statistics, Hindrances and Edges all work exactly as the rest of this guide describes, so there's no need to relearn them here: follow the steps in Character Creation, and see Traits and Skills and Edges and Hindrances for the details. Think of Savage Worlds as the operating system and Rifts as the software running on it.
What Rifts adds is a different starting point. A Rifts hero is built in roughly this order:
- Choose an Iconic Framework - the big package (Glitter Boy, Juicer, Ley Line Walker and so on) that defines who you are.
- Build your traits using the standard rules, together with whatever your framework grants or requires.
- Take Hindrances and Edges, with the "Born a Hero" rule letting you reach for powerful options straight away.
- Roll on the Hero's Journey tables for extra abilities, gear and story hooks.
- Check Mega Damage gear and Strain so you know what your armor stops and how much cybernetics your body can take.
The exact numbers for each framework and table are in Rifts: The Tomorrow Legion Player's Guide; this part explains what each piece does.
Born a Hero: The Rifts Difference
In the savage world of Rifts Earth, you don't start as a farmhand dreaming of adventure. You begin as someone extraordinary - perhaps a fire-wielding Burster, a young dragon, or a power-armored Glitter Boy. This is reflected in the "Born a Hero" rule: you can take powerful Edges right from the start, ignoring their normal Rank requirements during character creation.
Iconic Frameworks: Your Heroic Identity
This is where Rifts truly shines. Instead of picking a simple class, you choose an Iconic Framework - a complete package that defines not just what you can do, but who you are in this world. It's like choosing between being a knight, a wizard, or a dragon - except the dragon is literal! The next part looks at each framework in turn.
The Hero's Journey: Your Unique Story
Here's where your character becomes truly unique. The Hero's Journey tables add random elements to your background - perhaps you found an ancient weapon, learned from a master, or survived something that should have killed you. These rolls don't just give you mechanical benefits; they give you story hooks and connections to the world.
Think of it like this: two Glitter Boy pilots might have the same armor, but one found theirs in a pre-Rifts bunker while fleeing Coalition forces, while the other inherited it from their parent who died defending a village. Same framework, completely different stories.
Edges and Hindrances
Hindrances and Edges work exactly as in the core rules (see Edges and Hindrances), including trading Hindrance points for extra Edges, attribute steps or skill points. Two things feel different in Rifts: Born a Hero opens up high-Rank Edges at the start, and the setting has its own Edges and Hindrances that tie your hero to ley lines, cybernetics, factions and the Tomorrow Legion. Many frameworks also come with built-in drawbacks of their own, so check what yours already includes before piling more Hindrances on top.
Understanding Mega Damage
In Rifts, damage comes in two scales. Regular damage is getting punched or shot with a conventional weapon. Mega Damage (MD) is getting hit by a tank shell or a dragon's breath. MD weapons tear through ordinary armor and flesh, while conventional weapons barely scratch Mega Damage armor - which is why nearly every Rifts hero carries MD weapons and wears MD protection. In Savage Worlds terms it's still the usual damage roll against Toughness; Mega Damage simply operates on a much bigger scale, as covered in the combat parts of this section. (Palladium's original Rifts tracked this with separate S.D.C. and M.D.C. point pools, where one M.D. point equalled 100 S.D.C.; the Savage Worlds version doesn't use those pools.)
Strain: The Cost of Enhancement
In a world where you can replace your arm with a plasma cannon, there's always a price. Strain represents how much cybernetic enhancement your body can handle. Every implant adds Strain, and your body can only take so much before it starts breaking down. Worse, if you have magical or psionic powers, cybernetics interfere with them - like trying to channel lightning through a rusty pipe - which is why mages and psychics in Rifts tend to avoid chrome.
Building Your Legend
Creating a character in Rifts isn't just about numbers and abilities - it's about crafting a hero with a story, a purpose, and a place in this incredible world. Whether you're a mystical Ley Line Walker channeling the planet's energy, a Juicer burning bright and fast, or a noble Cyber-Knight defending the innocent, you're not just playing a character - you're becoming a legend.